Death's Wings
by castielris
Summary: "Life isn't something you can waste over another person. Take it from someone like me." Rich words, considering she did it over and over again. Elena SI-OC. SI!Elena. Steroline. Other pairings (excluding Elena) undecided.
1. Welcome To Your (Second) Life

_"No... Don't do it. I won't allow it." She whispered, as soft and fragile as velvet. She was aware of the shakes on her voice, but she was far too focused on the man in front of her._

 _Her trembling fingers traced the lines on his face, light enough she only brushed them. Even like this, he still looked so very handsome._

 _"Elena..." He growled, but it sounded so desperate and begging she couldn't stop her smile._

 _"You're so stubborn... When will you ever call me Angel?"_

 _"Stop it—stop this irrational game you're playing." He said sharply. To anyone else, they might hear the demand and threat, but to Angel, there was only fear he buried deep behind._

 _"But I'm not playing anything." She clenched the expensive coat of his tightly. "You can't die for me... Life isn't something you can waste over another person, you know."_

 _She whispered, barely loud enough. "Take it from someone like me."_

 _She let go of her grip._

 _And fell._

 _The last thing she heard was the desperate roar of a mourning beast, and the heavy roll of thunder ahead._

.

.

"Uncle... Whe'e's Jerry?" Her childish voice rang loudly in the relatively empty corridor. The only people there being her, her uncle, and her aunt (and no, they're not married). It was simply too late in night for anyone else to be in the birthing room of the small town's only hospital. Coincidences might happen, but not like this.

Nevertheless, Elena couldn't help the bounces of her knees as they awaited the screams inside to stop.

 _A baby brother._ Elena thought, giddy. _I'm going to have a baby brother!_

In her past life, she didn't have any siblings. And her friends—scarce and rare as they were—were as good as siblings to her.

Oh, how she missed them.

But no matter how much, she knew—deep in her heart—that she couldn't go back. Couldn't hop universes to the mind numbingly boring one of hers, where all her friends and family are. She was left here, in the strange, dangerous universe where supernatural walk the earth.

She _wanted_ to go home—very, very much.

( _she was just afraid no one missed her._

 _that no one remembered her._ )

Alexis Sanderson died on December 3rd, 2017, at 00:01, and Elena Angeline Gilbert was born on December 3rd, 1992 at 00:02.

She'd accepted that fact, a long time ago.

"He'll be here soon, little bird." Uncle John said soothingly from ahead of her. Big, rough hands cradled her small form gently. "Just wait for a few moments more, alright?"

He absentmindedly pat her head, and she tried very hard not to outrightly preened at that. She loved John Gilbert, loved the way she showered her attention and small things, loved how awkward he expressed his love toward her.

She rarely saw him, and in moments like this, she always nearly forget she wasn't supposed to know he's her real father.

But she felt drawn to him— _gravitated_ , really—and it just felt as clear as the sky's blue, that he's her father. She didn't understand how Elena hadn't, and even hated him.

She tried not to close her eyes at John's pats that were as good as a lullaby. Judging from her aunt's amused smile, she saw it.

Jenna Sommers stood from the uncomfortable plastic chair (the reason why **she** sat on John's lap) and stretched her body painfully, making her birth father slash uncle winced at the pops her spine made.

"I need more caffeine." She yawned. "Do any of you want something from the vending machine?"

John shook his head, instead turned his head to look at me quizzically. I beamed. "Can I have jelly beans and coca cola?"

Because, dear god, she understood Americans' obsession with soda, but diet coke is _awful_.

"Sure, sweetheart." He said indulgingly.

And whoever said John Gilbert was a bad father again?

.

.

They waited for fifteen minutes more before the screams stopped, and twenty five before they were allowed to go inside.

The inside of the room was as blindingly white as every other spots of the hospital (that she'd seen anyway— _no way_ would she go to cadavers room), and the smell of hospital she could only named _clean_ kinda stab her nose, but they weren't what she focused on.

Her brown eyes were zeroed on the little bundle her tired mother held against her chest.

"Elena... this is your little brother, Jeremiah Gilbert." Her (adoptive) father smiled, blue eyes shining.

Her mother lowered down the bundle, and Elena could finally see him... a red, little fragile thing that looked like he just recently got mushed... which, made sense actually... considering he was forced to went through a small hole called vagina...

And Elena could totally empathized with. It was a memory that traumatized her forever.

She held down a disgusted shudder, and set her big brown eyes back on the closed ones of Jeremiah ( _ha._ That would serve as a good blackmail material), determination coming over her.

"Hey, Jerry." She didn't smile, no, but the serious expression was comical enough that the adults had to supress their chuckles. "I'm your big sister, Elena. And I'll protect you forever, okay?"

That was just her job as an older sibling, and she promised, _she would._

( _even if it may kill her one day._ )

.

.

The years of her new life passed by fleetingly. Nothing exciting happened for two years, until her third birthday.

Her adoptive parents—Miranda and Grayson—weren't one of those that celebrated their children's birthday each year with a party, thankfully. They were tolerant parents, and would let their children did whatever they wanted in their birthdays, with the occasional parties every few years. So Elena straightened her back, scrunched her eyebrows, and endured.

Except she didn't want to.

December the Third. The date that marked the day death took her away from her family and sent her away to another one.

She wasn't acting ungrateful (she's _very_ grateful). It's just that... she didn't want to feel happy on her death day.

She wanted to _mourn_ , not to smile and clap as strangers gifted her gifts. She _definitely_ didn't want to sing happy tunes.

All she felt to do was to roll on a field of flowers and pretended she died, while funeral songs were played loudly on the speaker until it was all she could hear.

But she couldn't exactly say that, so she pretended.

Jerry was the first one to notice her unhappiness, and he'd gotten upset so much at her expense he nearly cried even though he didn't know the reason. He forgot all about it as soon as their mom gave him a lollipop.

Elena thought he would be the only one to notice (John couldn't come—another reason her mood fell further), but the universe proved her wrong two hours before the party.

A little cherub came up to her with the most determined face, and asked demandingly. "Why we'en't you smiling? It's youw biwthday, you know!"

Nevermind that she'd practically glued her fake smile by that time.

She fumbled for words, when the kid's mother came to the rescue. "Caroline! Don't be rude. I'm sorry, Elena, Miranda, she can be a little bossy sometimes."

"It's okay, Liz. Such a cute little police officer, huh?"

"Please, don't say that again. She's always running around the house these days, pretending to be a cop and saying she'll be like me." Liz said, clearly pleased through the flush on her pale cheeks.

"Anyway, introduce yourself, sweetheart."

Cherub extended a hand toward me. "Hi! My name's Caroline Fowbes! Let's be friends!"

Which, of course, made a lot of sense.

Caroline Forbes, even at two years old, was as demanding as her future-self. Not even ten minutes after we were let to play alone, she dragged me out of my house, declaring how playing barbie was too boring and adventuring was more exciting.

Who knew she was such a tomboy at this age?

Predictably, we were caught as soon as we stepped a foot out the front door.

"Where are you two going?" Asked the dark-skinned woman, surprised. "Caroline Forbes and Elena Gilbert, right?"

Stupified, we couldn't do anything other than stare, wide-eyed. The woman raised an eyebrow, lips curled on a side in an amused smirk when she realized what exactly we'd attempted to do.

"Oh, my, what little troublemakers..." She grinned, and nudged a little someone that I hadn't even noticed out of her hiding place behind the woman's long skirt. "Come on, darling, don't be shy."

Hesitantly, the bundle of blue popped out it's head to peered out at us. Green eyes uncannily resembled puppy eyes as she continued to stare shyly at us.

"H-hi... I'm Bonnie Bennett."

So the Three Helion was created.

.

.

 **done! so how's it? give me ur reviews and comments below~ they motivate me to write more.**

 **also, if you notice, this fic's chapters are gonna be shorter than my other one (** _SKYSCRAPER_ **). but that doesn't mean i will always update this faster.**

 **thx for reading! see ya xx**


	2. Life Doesn't Go In Straight Lines

**here's to longer chapter!**

 **also i changed elena's birth date from june 22nd (canon) to december 3rd.**

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There were rules she'd dictated for herself long ago—as in, so long that it was actually on her past life—and they didn't change even through this new life. Her name, face, identity might change, but inside she was still _her_.

She called them _Guide and Tutorials on How To Live **Live** For Dummies and Newbies_.

Or for short: _Life Tutorials_.

When she was 11 on Before, she was a cute kid. Good, helpful, obedient—she was your typical scout girl. Then one day, she wondered to a cliff on the south of her town, watching the sea churned and nature working it best from the rocks—and, somehow, fell.

Now, naturally a normal person would freak out, right? Not her. She was shocked, sure—but it was as if the thrill she felt, along with the cold wind and even colder seawater _woke_ her up. Like she'd been living with her eyes closed her whole life.

It was the moment that changed her forever.

Ever since that, she started to go out more. Socializing soon enough became a natural thing, and she had adventures everyday. From the smallest thing like trying out a strange candy flavor to skydiving—she'd done it all. There were just no days without something to experiment on, to be excited about. People often commented how free she was or how jealous they were. She seemed to be the epitome of freedom—nothing could control nor deter her.

Whenever someone asked how she did it, she always said, _"I just let go of everything that weight me."_

A free spirit, indeed.

And this free spirit would forever be one.

And so, the now-Elena decided to start showing everyone her true side—by sneaking away. She tugged the rope that was tied to her window sill, and found it tied tight and firm. After a confirmation glance to the closed door, she climbed the window sill, and started climbing down carefully.

It was still early in the morning, and the sun had just risen, so everyone would most likely still sleeping, including the neighbours. No one would realize what she'd done until it was too late—

Unfortunately, she'd forgotten about her doctor father and his sporadic schedule.

As soon as her eyes met the blues of Grayson, she quickly slided down the rope, ignoring the burns on her palms. As she expected, a few seconds later her father had realized it wasn't a hallucination and had ran out the door with a strangled shout of her name.

Elena booked it out there as fast as her short legs allowed, the yells of her father echoing behind her.

Rule number one: _No Regrets_.

Fifteen minutes later found her in the Mystic Grill (a totally cliche name, for the record, but she didn't know any other places that had food), waiting for her order of vanilla milkshakes and chicken wings. Had to make up for the burnt callories somehow.

Swinging her legs on one of the corner booths, she observed the people around her. It was barely 7 in the morning, so the people there were mostly adults about to head off for work. Drinking coffee, typing at their phones, reading newspapers—yada, yada, yada. It was all boring things—

Except that little family sitting on the other side of the restaurant.

A busgirl (who she assumed was the mother considering the resemblances were uncanny) was talking and scolding her kids who were eating on the table, snapping something that made the boy's face fell. The girl, seeing this, scowled at her mother and snipped something back. Mother hit her palm on the desk so that the sound rang across the whole room and walked away with clearly hurt dignity.

People watched the scene with distaste clear to the mother, but did nothing else. They gone back to their own businesses as soon as the busgirl was out of sight.

Oh, how she despised people like that the most.

With a sigh, Elena got out of her seat and walked toward them. "Hello," she said, shamelessly sliding to the seat next to the boy.

Upon closer look, she realized that the girl was older than her and the boy by a few years. She was a brunette with long hair that curled naturally on the ends, and a pair of eyes that resembled the hot chocolate with honey she once tried on. The boy, however, had dirty blonde hair that spiked on the ends and blue eyes. The girl, clearly, was the busgirl's daughter. Their resemblances were there though, with their matching cheekbones and nose and even eyebrows. Other than that, they might as well be strangers.

The girl sent her a wary look and snapped, "what do you want?" Her honey-brown eyes sent daggers to her, ignoring the hissed reprimand of, "Vicki!"

Elena smiled sheepishly. "I was kinda lonely sitting alone, and everyone else was being adult—so, I want to ask if I could sit here?"

"Shouldn't you ask before sitting down?" Vicki scowled.

"What do you mean by 'being adult'?" Her little brother asked, clear blue eyes curiously scanned her face. Reluctantly, Vicki waited for the answer.

"They were doing borish things only adults do, like reading newspaper and all those things." She wrinkled her nose.

"You said that as if you aren't going to be like that." Vicki pointed out.

"Nope! I might get old and wrinkly but I'd rather shoot myself than be an adult." She giggled. Vicki and Matt gave her a matching frown, and there goes the doubt about their sibling relation.

Here, she gave them a mysterious smile, as if she was about to share the secret of the world. "Being _adult_ and being _mature_ are very different things. Once you grow up, you'll see."

"You're the same age as Mattie." Vicki deadpanned.

"You acted like a grown up." Mattie stated.

"But I'm not boring like the adults, right?" She asked joyfully, and he nodded. "You got it, Mattie!"

"Don't call me that!" He blushed to the leaves of his ears, throwing a napkin to the crackling figure of his sister. "It's _Matt_ , not Mattie."

"Or Matthew." Vicki snickered. "I'm Vicki Donovan."

"Victoria—"

"Shut _up_ , you!" The napkin was thrown again.

"Right, pleasure meeting you! I'm Elena Gilbert, wished it was short for Elenore or Eleanor or something like that but it isn't. Feel free to call me whatever." She eye-smiled.

Once again, the Donovan siblings sent her a look that obviously said how weird she was. But they didn't comment on it. "Right..." Vicki drawled, "I'mma dubbed you 'Weirdo' from now on."

"Just ignore her, she doesn't go out of the house much." Matt said. "Can I call you Lena?"

"Su—"

"Elena. Angeline. _Gilbert_." A very, very familiar voice called out from the door. Her body froze up. She had the feeling that this might be the last time she saw the siblings for a lengthy period.

"Farewell." She whispered to the two, still frozen. She wasn't brave enough to look at the mad, mad figure of her mom.

"There you are, _darling_." Sugar dripped off Miranda's voice, and it served to make her scared even more. That was the tone when she got really angry—and Elena had only heard it used once in her seven years of (second) living. "I've been searching for you everywhere. Time to go home."

Elena sent the Donovan siblings a betrayed look when they only smiled fearfully at the raging mother, casting her a pitying look and even _dared_ to waved at her. Oh, she changed her mind. They weren't interesting anymore. As soon as she get out—

"Stop whatever it is you're planning, Elena, because you're not going to have the chance to do it." Her mother said casually while still dragging her by an ear. "Oh, here's for the bill, Mr. Peterson. I'm sorry for the trouble my daughter brought."

"No problem at all, Mrs. Gilbert!" Was the last thing she heard before they got out of the Grill.

Her stomach growled.

"You—" Miranda's smile could've cut with how sharp it was, "—are _grounded_ , young lady. For _life_."

She should've raided the fridge before escaping, next time.

.

.

Elena yawned for the hundred time of the day.

She couldn't help it—she was so bored she'd started to sing all the songs she knew loudly _and_ mentally, even the horrible ones. No doubt that everyone's ears suffered from that, but it wasn't her fault anyway. Anyone would get bored after being confined to the house for two weeks.

True to her words, Miranda and Grayson had grounded her since that sunday. She was forced to stay inside the house 24/7, with the exception of school. Even then, they didn't give her a reprieve by arriving there even before the bell rung. It was embarassing—everyone in town had known by now about the little mischief act Elena Gilbert had committed.

All the windows and door were locked so she couldn't sneak out again. Laptops and games were off limits so there were only books and TV for her entertainment. She was even forbidden to see Caroline and Bonnie outside of school, though reluctantly she admit it was a good choice. They knew she was the captain of their little group and that they would only make chaos.

The confinement wasn't the worst thing she'd undergone, if you looked back to her life as Alexis. Back then, her father had been a military man and so the rules of the house were strict. In this life, it was clear how Miranda and Grayson had freaked out at her little 'rebelious' act, and how they decided to take precaution in case she was about to start become a punk girl—or maybe one of those outlaws. Either way, it seemed like a normal thing to do since she was their first child (and daughter).

And so, Elena Angeline Gilbert bravely endured the boring hours by herself.

'By herself', because she'd found out that Jeremy wasn't a friend anymore. As soon as her first escape attempt was done, her little brother had reprimanded her with cute irresistible voice, _"That's not a good thing to do, Lena. I'm going to tell Mom if you did it again."_

And then gave her a mischievous smile and jutted out his tongue.

'Till now, Elena was still seriously considering that maybe her cute little brother that'd adored her was somehow switched with the little devil that now adorned the halls of their house.

Good news was: she'd started to pick up drawing again.

When she was Alexis, she'd loved to draw. To her, drawing was like doing challenging sports—it was _freeing_. When her legs stayed still, her mind got poured to a blank canvas. She got absorbed so much that sometimes she'd spent half a day on drawing without realizing. She'd considered drawing again when she was still a toddler, but her hands had been too stiff back then. Thank God there were still some left equipments from the time Aunt Jenna had tried to be an artist.

And, _oh_ , how blissful she felt when she finally drew again. Her drawings might not be good, but she was relieved for the feelings she let out through them. She couldn't wait until she got her fingers used to it—then, perhaps she could asked for colouring tools.

Elena yawned again.

"I think that's the thirty-third time." Jeremy said.

She startled, and turned to the door where her five years old brother stood. _Since when had he been there?_

The brunette boy jumped to one of her bean bag sofa, ignoring the grumpy look she sent him. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"Sitting." She deadpanned.

He pouted. "I'm bored, sis. Can't we do something together?"

"What do you want to do, Jer?" She raised an eyebrow. Petty grudges could get a hiatus in the name of erasing her boredom.

Jerry looked around her pastel pink bedroom, almond brown darting left to right and back again. He hopped out, snatched a sketch book she'd left lying on the table, and started to examined it curiously.

"What's this, sis?"

"Aunt Jenna's old sketchbook. It was mostly empty so I drew on it." She told him.

She hummed "High Hopes" by Panic! At The Disco absentmindedly for a few seconds, before the silence from Jerry's part hit her. She turned to him with a wary look, and sighed mentally at the excited face he had on.

If there was one thing she knew about her little brother, it was that his excitement brought nothing good.

"How about you teach me how to draw?" He asked, and she sighed audibly.

Well, at least she wouldn't be bored anymore...?

.

.

 _(November 20th, 2000.)_

 _Day 45 of my horrible confinement;_

 _Dear Diary, I think I might be losing my mind. No, I know I am. Beside the obvious fact that this whole grounded thing is getting old real fast, I'm also started to feel this itching feeling of wanting to run._

 _No_ _, not because of the whole thing itself, but more because of the helion they call my little brother._

 _You_ _see (hear? read??), I've started teaching Jeremy how to draw since about two weeks ago, and I. Regret. It.. The little helion had somehow took my crayons (that I begged my parents for for days) and drew on the floor, cabinets, walls, and even the ceilings. Dunno how he did the last one, but I got blamed for them and now my punishment become longer._

 _In_ _the deepest corner of my heart though, I feel proud._ _BUT NO WAY IN HELL AM I TELLING HIM THAT._

 _That's_ _all that I wanna say. I couldn't stand writing too much. This is my first entry and I don't think I like doing this very much so it might be the last._

 _Ciayo_ _! Don't get too surprised if this book got turned into a drawing book ;) lol!_

 _Elena_ _Gilbert_ : _out!_

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.

If she ever thought of her (second-life) parents as kind or nice or _easy_ , well, she wholeheartedly regretted it. Because _jokes on her._ Both Miranda and Grayson Gilbert were incredibly stubborn and she just dreaded the upcoming days where Jeremy might inherited it.

It had been nearly two months, and they were showing no signs of stopping her grounded status.

Seriously, it started to feel like she was in a relationship. With her house. Which was a big no-no to an extrovert like her—she was _dying._ And goddamn it, she's _not_ exaggerating! It felt like years since she last walk outside by herself. Even Jeremy had started to get uneasy about it.

She was starting to get really desperate. About a week ago, she'd thrown all the dignity she had ( _what's dignity again?_ ) out the window (that remained locked until now). Begging, sucking up, pitiful acting, sobbing—you name it, she did it. And there were absolutely no visible results.

 _Who said she was a free spirit again?_

She didn't regret sneaking out, though— _No Regrets_ was practically the first rule of the book—and she _would_ do it again. She just had to do it much more carefully, ease them to the idea slowly.

Ah, imagination. Her old friend.

Elena sighed, hugging one of her bolster tight. Today was sunday the 30th, so no family time until next week. That marked it as another boring, _boring_ day.

Now, let's see what she could do... Teaching Jeremy, drawing, reading books, watching TV, doing another experiment on the kitchen, drawing, teaching Jerry—

"Elena, come down for a second!" Her father yelled, and she sat up straight. "I know you're awake!"

 _Huh?_ Confused, she went downstairs with a hand fixing her messy hair, wondering what it was about. She didn't do anything recently, did she?

Her eyes widened mid-step on the stairs. _Have they finally decided she wasn't grounded anymore?!_

In true seven-year-old fashion, she ran the rest of the way. Her smile was the biggest since months ago and her heart was full of hope. _Finally, finally!_ Her brain screamed in utter joy.

"You're still grounded." was the first thing that was said to her once she entered the kitchen, and her face fell comically.

Everyone there—her parents and _Uncle John is here!_ —smiled at the face she made. She grumbled to herself, _that wasn't funny at all. I really thought I was going to finally get free..._

"But—as an appreciation to your _good_ attitude lately—your father and I decided to let your Uncle give his birthday present early." Her mom's lips curled upward at the mixture of confused and suspicious face she made. "Not saying you won't continue your grounded status after, of course."

After what?

Warily, she turned to her birth father, and tried to not stared at the expression he made. John Gilbert was smiling easily—the curls at his lips that was slightly lopsided, the dimples, the way his eyes smiled too, and it was as if he was about to spread mischief without being obvious about it.

Every single detail of his expression was what she would found on the photographs of herself.

"You get to have a full week with your favorite uncle! I promise it's not as horrifying as it sounds." He joked.

Unwillingly, tears started to fall down her cheeks. A full week with only the two of them? That sounded _perfect_.

"Elena?! Um, I can just give you another present—"

She cut him off with a hug attack, and he easily caught her in his hold, a warm hand rubbing her back. It felt like she was being swallowed in a warm, comforting oversized blanket, and it made her sobbed harder.

"N-no! I'm just happy." She said between taking breaths.

It was going to be the best present in her whole life—she just _knew_ it.

Unknown to her, John'd glared at the couple when she hugged him, eyes full of judgment and if looks could kill, they would be dead on the ground. Miranda and Grayson exchanged guilty looks at the sound of heavy sobbing their daughter let out—thinking that maybe, she got so emotional and relieved because they'd went too far on the grounding business.

Elena Gilbert didn't know it back then, but when she came home a week later, she would be _pleasantly_ surprised.

.

.

Elena smiled to herself as she walked on grey paved street road, a sweet iced tea in a hand. She pouted at the reminder, and shook the plastic cup in disappointment. She'd liked to try a mojito or cuba libre that she read was popular here, but she wasn't of age yet. Maybe she should move to De Jure—wherever that was, at least she could have a beer there when she reached 16.

Florida was a nice state, even though the oceans were off limits since it was winter. Going to a beach without tanning and playing in warm water got boring real fast. But overall, she _was_ happy. She'd been in a bliss since the little vacation started.

John had brought her to Tallahassee, the capital city of Florida. It was a busy, populated city that was mostly used as a trade center. She'd seen business people in passing and there were too many foreign people and markets to count. Her birth father had told her it was currently the main trade city of America, rivalling New York City whose reputation was more headed to tourism. Seeing such place after nearly eight years living in a small quiet town had been fascinating.

The two of them had eat from restaurants to restaurants, bravely trying local cuisines (the frog dishes were _awful_ ) with her staring at John's alcoholic beverages with jealousy, touring the town randomly with no clear plans (that got them lost more than once), and buying things that interested them as souvenirs.

She'd never seen him smiling as much as he did these past few days.

Fifth day of their little escapade, John had let her off by herself with a brand new phone ("It was supposed to be your birthday present, but I didn't want you to get lost. Happy early birthday, princess."), a pocket full of money, and lingering looks. He himself had a business with a friend. Thus why she ended up city watching by herself.

She couldn't stop walking even though her feet had started to ache because, _hello_ , she'd seen little else than school and house for two months and now that she had her freedom back—she was like a fish to water. She sincerely didn't mind walking mindlessly for hours amidst an unknown city between strangers.

With a serene face, she took a turn to a dark alley, and dropped her tea in the middle of said alley. A few seconds later, someone walked into the alley and started to slipped from the tea.

She mercilessly kick him on the groin.

"Aaarrghh!" He groaned out, half-angry half-pained. She sent a punch to his face and gasped when he took her fist on his. He looked up, eyes peeking from the shadows that befall the rest of his face—she struggled to get away with no results.

Her heart beat so loudly she was sure he heard it too.

Instead of white, his scleras were _pitch black_ , outlining the black orbs. She bet that if they weren't in the dark, she would've seen black veins around the eyes as well.

 _A vampire._

"Now, now, little girl." He whispered, and gave her a smile of elongated fangs and plastic. "You're quite the stupid one, yes?"

"Let me go!" She growled, trying not to panic. "Help! Hel—" She choked when the hand on her throat tightened, cutting off her oxygen supplies. Her hands tore the pale one fruitlessly.

He licked his lips. "You're going to be a treat, and little girls are my _favorite_. Now, any last words?"

She wheezed, her lungs desperately searching for air that wasn't given to her by the vampire holding her, legs kicking the air. She didn't care for the scratches she made from struggling on the rough bricks, nor the advancing face of the vampire. All her body and brain demanded was air, air, _air—_

The hand loosened, and she fell to the ground.

Frantically, she drew gasps of air until her lungs were satisfied, and opened her eyes to red.

Scarlet red—the colour of the blood that the vampire oozed out of his chest, and there was also a tip peeking out of the wound, something similar to wood. Didn't the Story told of how a stake to the heart would kill a vampire?

"Father?" She gasped, looking up in relief.

But John was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a teenager standing with harsh breathing, a palm bloodied and face something tense that had her heart clenched, fear instantly forgotten.

"Who... are you?" Her voice was barely a whisper. Somehow, it carried through.

"Mason Lockwood." He answered, looking down to her and something in his eyes softened, and her heart skipped a beat. "Are you okay?"

The busy life of the city quietened down in the face of her heart's frantic beatings, as she continued to gape like an idiot.

Mason Lockwood was her saviour.

.

.

Regardless of the cringy (one-sided) moment she and Mason had back on the alleyway, she didn't made a stupid move and just trust him on the spot like that. It was only after confiming that he is, indeed, the younger brother to Mayor Lockwood of Mystic Falls and the close friend of her Aunt Jenna— _and the very canon character of the Story—_ that she gave him her hotel address.

"Why are you in Florida?" Elena broke the awkward silence. "I mean, Aunt Jenna said you're going to the same college as her, so..."

"Yeah," he cleared his throat, "I'm just taking a little vacation after all the hectic at the university. Didn't expect to see Jenna's little niece here."

"I'm on a week-long vacation with Uncle John." She told him. "For an early birthday present, you know? It's my fifth day here."

He nodded, and there was another moment of silence.

"What was that... back on the alley?" She asked carefully, her chocolate eyes scouring the face of Mason Lockwood. He looked so much younger than she remembered, her boyish charm still remained. His brown-blond hair was styled messy, and his eyes reminded her of Tyler so much. He couldn't be older than 21 at least.

"Don't yell or anything, but..." He gave her a wary look. "I think he is—was—a vampire. His freaky eyes with the whole vein things, fangs—he kinda fit the description of the myth my father used to tell for my bedtime story."

"A... vampire." She mumbled to herself.

Sure, she figured she couldn't avoid the whole trainwreck that was Canon considering her doppelganger status, but she thought she had a decade left. She thought Stefan Salvatore's arrival would be the key to the gate.

She forgot, how Murphy Law worked.

 _Anything that can go wrong, **will** go wrong._

Shit, she hoped she hadn't messed anything up _too_ much.

 _Wait._ Wasn't the Lockwood family a werewolf one? And if she wasn't mistaken, killing someone was the key to unlocking that particular supernatural gene.

Does killing a vampire count?

Sure hope it doesn't.

"Are you going to freak?" Mason prodded her side carefully, watching her as if she was about to burst.

"No. But..." She pursed her lips.

"What will we say to my Uncle?"

.

.

 **word count: 4403**

 **wow, three (four?) more canon characters appeared! just to say, none of this are planned, my fingers had a habit of writing whatever comes to mind. for example, that vampire wasn't supposed to attack Elena, also it was supposed to be Slater.**

 **click on the favorite and follow buttons and leave your reviews below!**

 **cas xxx**


	3. The Bonds We Make

"Ouch, hey!" Jenna winced, trying to steady the dangerously wobbling pudding. A tan hand grabbed the plate, stopping the descent of what no doubt would become a miserable night had the pudding splatered against the floor. She looked up to blue-grey eyes, and of course—it was Mason Lockwood. He had been some kind of a permanent resident lately.

"Thanks, Mason. You're a lifesaver." She smiled, relieved. "I don't know what I'll do if this really fall."

Mason gave her a genuine smile, and Jenna was reminded of why he was the number one heartbreaker back in school—and probably still was in Mystic Falls. "No probs. Is it Lena's special pudding?"

Jenna nodded. Her niece, beside all her quirky attitude, was also turned out to be talented in cooking. Or, at least, at baking. Her puddings had became their family's favorite soon enough, and it oftentimes was the desert at their family meetings.

A shout of Mason's name, and the man nearly broke his neck at the speed he turned it. Elena's head popped out from the backyard door, and she grinned upon spotting them. "Mason! Come here, I've got something to show you."

"Alright." Mason turned to her, sending her an apologizing look. "Sorry about earlier, but I gotta run now."

"Your daughter called?" She teased.

Mason made a face. "I'm forever too young to have a kid. But anyway, she's more like a little sibling to me ya know? It helps that she and Tyler are close too."

She nodded wordlessly and he flashed her another smile before joining Elena at the backyard. Jenna decided not to mention the fond smirk he used when he was talking about Elena. And—take it from someone whose been his friend since elementary—she knew it was as good as a solid prove of his attachment.

If you asked her, she would say she too was confused about how this all came to be. It started last year, at the end of Elena and John's little trip to Florida. Jenna and the others had gathered at the Gilbert's residence, right at December third and wanting to celebrate Elena's birthday. Instead of two, three people walked into the house: John, Elena, and Mason.

They didn't have the heart to question about it, seeing Elena's happy face at the Lockwood's presence. But she _did_ hear John's grumblings about "something strange happened" and how he thought of Mason suspiciously. Elena herself had explained that the two of them met because he'd saved her from a kidnapper (Grayson and Miranda freaked at this, specifically toward John's lack of presence, and didn't let the children out of their sight until a month passed) that ran away when Mason heroically punched the hooded man.

And apparently, she'd heard Mason's name from Jenna before and so had trusted him to get her to the hotel safely (which triggered another rant from the overprotective couple), and John came back minutes later. The rest, as they said, is history.

Ever since then, Mason had slowly became a fixture in the Gilberts', but none of them mind him anyway. Elena, especially, had taken a strong liking to him. Jenna was baffled of how Mason took to her eight years old niece so much, but made no comment. The two of them with Mason's nephew was already a common sight at this town.

Jenna sighed, and once again put the thought in the back of her mind. She'd long since accepted Elena's many weird abilities (drawing people in seemed to be one) and knew thinking about them was just asking for headache.

Now, she better put the pudding down before another accident happen.

.

.

Elena frowned up to the tall man in front of her, trying her best to put on her sad face. "Do you really have to go?"

Mason smiled down, a telling that he wasn't fooled. "Yeah, I have to prepare for an upcoming test."

"I can help you study?" She pleaded.

"Thanks, but no thanks. Besides, I don't want to intrude your family night." He told her, rubbing his nape.

"No one will mind." She told him, but she already knew he wouldn't accept anyway. That was just how Mason was—very mindful of himself and others. It was probably a result of his family's hard teachings and his father's occasional beating.

Her heart twisted at the thought. "Say goodbye before you went back to college, alright?"

He quirked an eyebrow. "Wouldn't dare to forget it, kiddo. I'll be going together with your aunt anyway."

She gave him a firm nod. At least going away would be a respite from Mayor Lockwood's nasty attitude—she knew they didn't like each other much. "Good. See you at friday?"

"Probably sooner than that. But, before that..." He trailed, looking unease all of a sudden, and she quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Here." He said, handing her a small package.

She made a confused noise, looking at him with big doe eyes to which he simply laughed heartily at. "It's a late birthday present from me, kid. You're _eight_ now, I know." She blushed at the implications of the most embarrassing night she'd have in this life.

Deciding that feigning ignorance was better, she turned her gaze to the slim package on her hands and opened it with a smooth _click_.

She unknowingly released a coo at the adorable gift Mason gave her. It was a leg bracelet with a sword pendant—the infinity symbol etched on it. Judging from what she knew, it looked fancy. Silver, if not white gold, even the pendant. And the symbol—well, she _definitely_ know it's a hidden teasing. After all, if you tilted it a bit, it became "eight".

Elena hugged the man, and his hands held her as tight. "Happy late birthday, Elena." He whispered fondly.

As soon as she withdrew, she gave him a pleading look that she knew was cute enough. "Put it on, please?"

With an amused smirk, he did so and she was quite happy to see that it could be adjusted so that she wouldn't outgrow it for several years more. And while these things usually had bells attached, hers didn't.

"I have to go now, enjoy the barbeque." He messed her hair, already heading toward the door. Mason never did like to postpone things.

"Alright. See ya." She waved, and the door was slammed shut behind him.

Elena pouted, and reluctantly dragged her feet toward the backyard where everyone was. It was nearing six o'clock, so the barbeque preparation would probably be done soon.

She knew she should be spending time with her family, but she couldn't help but wish that Mason could be here too. He'd been a dear friend to her, ever since that accident. Both of them had decided to hid it in case no one else in the town knew—Mason didn't know about the town's council yet and she preferred it that way, so that he wouldn't be involved with the supernatural even further than he had to.

At first, she thought that was a one-time meeting and that was that. But Mason turned out to be kind, and didn't hesitate to guard her until they get back to town.

At the time, they weren't even friends yet.

But as they started to meet again and again, acquaintances became friends and friends became something familial. Somewhere along the line, Tyler had decided to join his uncle and best friend and then, four months passed.

Elena looked up at the full moon amidst the stars, and reminisced about the time she and Mason had really started to bond.

.

.

 _"Hi." She smiled awkwardly at her fellow brunette, trying not to fidget. He gave her a suspicious look, but he didn't try to scare her away._

 _"How odd that we meet again, for the third time of the day."_

 _Elena avoided the piercing stare that burned a hole on her head, and forced out a laugh. She winced—that wasn't natural at all. "I—it's a small town y'know."_

 _"Uh-huh," he sent an unimpressed look, "so what do you want, kid? You've been tailing me everywhere since evening. And shouldn't you be at bed? It's nearly 10 PM."_

 _She shifted guiltily at that reminder, knowing how worried everyone would be if they discovered the lump on the bed was just a pile of stuff toys and pillows._ If _they hadn't realized already. But she couldn't miss out tonight, she had to see Mason to make sure what she'd make of his fate._

 _The_ _full moon ahead shone mockingly._

 _She_ _swallowed her bill. "I—"_

 _Mason's eyes squinted, and she felt like sweating a bucket under those blue eyes. After a somewhat tense moment, his eyes brightened as if he'd found what he was searching for. Elena's radar instantly blared loudly when his face became mischievous._

 _"Hey, Gilbert..." He drawled slowly, bending his body so that their faces were the same height. "You... Have a crush on me, right?"_

 _"...I think I heard you wrong." She smiled innocently. Surely she heard wrong. Maybe it was all the paranoia and imagination getting her but she was sure Mason Lockwood wouldn't say something as absurd as—_

 _"You're crushing on me!" He stated. "It's okay, Gilbert, no need to be embarrassed—or do you want me to call you Elena?—"_

 _She flushed, at the reminder of how she'd forced the man to call her by her first name after the incident. But Mason was surprisingly polite if a bit distant._ _"—I mean, I understand even if it's baffling to have a seven years old kid crushing on you. But I appreciate your feeling, even though I've gotta say I can't reciprocate it—"_

 _"Stop, stop, stop! I never said I have a crush on you—I_ don't _. Don't make assumptions!" She shouted out, trying to ignore the fact that her face probably resembled a boiled crab with how embarrassed she was. "And it's_ eight _, not seven, you—you—_ idiot

 _He blinked, as she tried to regain her breath. Now that she'd calmed down, she felt as surprised as he seemed to be at her outburst. That didn't help anything—she just embarrassed herself even further in front of Mason._ _She blinked, eyes felt strangely heavy._

 _"Why are you crying?" Mason asked incredulously, if a bit densely. "_ I _should be the one crying, if anything!"_

 _"What—" Her face reddened again. "I don't know, the tears just fall out." She said between sobs, frantically trying to wipe every single drop. It was useless, as every drop she erased, two more came out._

 _"No, no, stop those tears!" He whispered, looking around as if afraid anyone might saw them. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, okay? You're not crushing on me and you're_ not _seven, but eight, I got it kid—"_

 _She burst out into another sob. "I don't have a crush on anyone! I just admired you because you_ saved _me back then looking like, I dunno, a shining knight, when I thought I would die—"_

—again _. She stopped short, and looked down with heavy thoughts churning inside._

 _When_ _she looked up, her chocolate orbs widened in surprise and—perhaps—a tiny bit of fondness. Mason Lockwood—the "king of high school" (according to Jenna) and ultimate player—was_ blushing _. She didn't even know before that a human's ears could get so red. He looked like a naive teenager having his first crush and she wanted so bad to hug him—_

Hold your horses, girl. _She gave herself a mental slap._

 _She_ _smirked, brown eyes shining with mischief that often brought trouble for those involved. If her parents saw, they'd gave her a mixture of wary and suspicious look. Elena opened her mouth—_

 _And_ _burped so loud the whole town might heard it._

 _There_ _was a moment of complete silence._

It's all those colas I drunk at dinner. _She thought awkwardly._

 _As_ _if on cue, Mason broke into a fit of laughter. It was the sort of laugh that was so sincere it warmed your heart, curled your toes, and made you wanted to laugh along just because of the happiness radiated on the air. She laughed along, realizing how silly she must've looked._

 _As_ _soon as they've calmed down, Mason had given her a warm smile (that made her belly suspiciously warm and no, she did_ not _have a crush) and conversation flew easier after that._

 _She_ _had a feeling she and Mason would get along rather_ _fantastically._

.

.

And she got an important information that night: killing a vampire doesn't trigger a werewolf's gene.

It made sense, looking at all the Lockwoods that'd passed by. There were no records of werewolves on the Gilbert Journals—they were mainly about vampire and some hints on other supernatural beings such as witch and doppelganger. The residents of Mystic Falls—dead and alive—didn't know werewolves exist.

She'd rather keep it that way. Knowledge is dangerous, after all.

( _and if she didn't mention Mason's human status because she was very glad she hadn't ruined his life, well, that was her business and hers only._ )

.

.

A week after Mason and Jenna's departures to the university, life hit her quite harshly.

She'd realized that the short three months she'd spent with Mason (and Tyler) had also made her accidentally neglected her other friends. Yes, they saw each others and talk at school, but that'd become more and more like hollow conversations these days—as if she was just making up polite conversations to people she wasn't close to. And that was _startling_. She hadn't even realized it. No wonder she hadn't received any texts from Caroline nor Bonnie.

Aside from that, her art sessions with Jeremy had lessen as well. Her little brother was getting so good at drawing that he actually didn't need her anymore, but she still liked to gave him tips and watched him do it sometimes. It was fascinating—how he remade _her_ style of drawing into his own, taking twists and turns she'd never considered to make. She could see that he would—slowly but surely—differed from her style completely and made his own.

But as wonderful as the subject was—she needed to get back to the problem.

Integrating herself back to her friends.

"Hi, Bonnie." She nearly stammered at the side glance the black-colored girl gave. Those honey-brown orbs were too intense sometimes, and the suspicion and surprise only fueled it.

"Elena." Bonnie gave a curt nod, lips slightly pursed, but her eyes shone with hope.

That was enough to kickstart her. "I'm sorry—for ignoring you these three months. I... didn't realized I was slowly creating a distance between us until recently. I'm sorry, Bonnie." She sincerely said, trying to will her to know that she was telling the truth. "I didn't even texted you guys."

Bonnie huffed. "You can get so obsessed into one thing and ignored the rest of the world sometimes, Lena."

"Bonnie's right. It's like you forget the rest of the world even existed." A voice pipped up from behind Bonnie, and she found blue eyes staring at her with a smile. It was open, understanding, and everything good—exactly like Matt's personality. He could be such a sunshine sometimes.

"Even Mattie knows—that means everyone does." A passing Vicki sneered playfully.

"Even Vicki?" She stared at her senior's back, bewildered. How was this her life again?

Someone coughed directly behind her, and she jumped. Tyler smiled, but it was clear he was trying to hold the laugh in from the way his eyes glimmered. "You're not exactly _subtle_ , Lena."

"Oh, have she apologized already?" Caroline approached, looking at everyone's faces then her. "Have you realized it, Lena?"

"Yeah." She had an uncanny power of making everyone felt incredibly small in front of her.

"Good. Just make sure you don't do it again." She gave her a firm look.

Wait, that was it? She'd expected much more from the bossy blonde—some yellings and crying even. She wasn't complaining though, flabbergasted as she was.

"What kind of world did I fell into?" Elena asked to herself, and the others only laughed.

But seriously, _what just happened?_

In the midst of her confusion, Tyler put an arm around her shoulders and held her close in a brotherly way. When he genuinely smile, it seemed like his eyes turned into liquid chocolate, warmth shone through. "We have to introduce you guys to Uncle Mason, next time he come."

"I heard he's our town's resident heartbreaker number one." Caroline perked up.

"Caroline, we're _eight_ years old." Bonnie deadpanned.

"I'm gonna turn nine in a few months!"

Elena grinned, exchanging look with Tyler. "You'll like him, guys! He's fun to be around."

"I'm sure he is." Matt smiled. "But, we kinda need to hurry, it's nearly time for class—"

 _RIIIIIIIING!_ The bell rang on the empty hallway.

"Oh, crap!"

" _Elena_!"

.

.

Murphy's Law stated that everything that can go wrong, _will_ go wrong.

And maybe she was a fool to think that law didn't work—no matter how momentary. In a way, she jinxed herself.

Everything was going so well. A few months after Elena apologized, everyone was getting closer—even Vicki, who had become even bitchier than Caroline think was possible. She was happy, despite everything that was going on with her mom and dad.

She thought, _maybe this is what they say a silver lining._ _Maybe they're my silver linings._

Everything would be fine at the end. Everything would be normal soon enough. Everything _was_ fine—

( _geez, when had she become so good at lying to herself?_ )

Because just like in those fairytales and movies, everything would be okay in the end. As long as she believe, as long as she stay strong, everything would be _fine._

But—Caroline was a smart girl. She knew she wasn't stupid, that maybe she was rude and too loud and kinda a bitch, but she was _smart._

"You—You met her again, didn't you?! You cheated on me _again—_ "

"Well, what do you want me to do, Liz?! You're always so busy with work, you never had time for me anymore! You can't blame me for falling in love with him—"

"Oh, so it's a _man_? What—you're suddenly _gay_ now?!"

"Whoa, dial down that racism, okay! Maybe you just never know me, Liz. I've been bisexual since _before_ we met."

"...Maybe you're right. Maybe we never really know each others. Bill, I—I'm so fucking _tired—_!"

Caroline Forbes was smart, and she hated it.

She knew her parents were breaking, had been for two months. She knew, and she tried to pretend she didn't. Unable to hear anymore, she ran away from the closed door and blindly ran out of her home, a hand clutching her mouth tightly as tears started to fell down, and it _drip, drip, drip_ down and slowly turned into a waterfall.

The only thing she could hear was the rapid beats her heart made. She felt _numb_ , numb enough with no thoughts but one:

 _Everything's wrong._

She walked around without any sense of direction, even entering the woods, searching without knowing what she was searching for. Warm hands touched her face, her hair, and shook her gently. She didn't bother to lift her head, not even when more hands joined.

It felt like she was drowning, like she was deep inside an ocean and everything was blurry and dark.

"—ad been like this since—"

"—tried everything but—"

"—she didn't even seem to _see_ us, Le—"

"—me try—"

There was a silence.

Then a gentle voice called.

"Caroline, it's Elena." She said. "Matt, Tyler, Vicki, and Bonnie are here too. Everyone's worried for you, Care. I know that nothing's okay, but— _we're here._ We're here for you."

The voice wobbled.

"Something horrible must've happened, right? The world must be wrong, I know you felt like that. I've felt it too. You're trying to deny everything but... Care, I can't say anything except that _we're here. We're here_."

Sunshine broke through the muddy water she drowned in. She looked up, and warm eyes laced with concern greeted her. She realized, right there and then, that _nothing's okay, and it's okay._ Her friends were here, and they understood even as she cried in their embraces and babbled through her tears. Even after hours must've passed by and their arms started to get tired of holding her.

Every cloud has a silver lining, and Caroline Forbes had found hers.

 _"It's okay, Care-Bear_

( _everything would be fine, now._ )

.

.

 **sorry if the timeline isn't clear, but they're all eight to nine years old now, and mason's 21. just a warning: there'll be plenty time skips in this arc!**

 **also, i'm terribly sorry for the late update ;_; writer's block is such a bitch. if you follow me on my other story, they you know i haven't updated there for over a month.**

 **cas xx**


	4. Water Is Thicker Than Blood

**Disclaimer: Vampire Diaries universe doesn't belong to me! Nor does Harry Potter belong to me, or anything else really. I only own SI!Lena~**

.

.

"Do you think Caroline is okay, Vicki?" Bonnie whispered, worried and anxious for the well-being of one of her closest friends.

"Caroline is strong. She'll be fine soon, I think." Vicki replied, both of them glancing at the living room.

Said blonde was currently lounging on the sofa of the Donovan Residence, cuddling with a bear plush. Her face was hidden as she tucked it into Elena's neck, as if she was afraid the world would see it. Caroline had always been one of the toughest, most stubborn girl they knew.

To see her blue eyes dull, as if she'd lost all hope, was _jarring_.

"I need to go home, Grams must be worried by now. I'll see you tomorrow, Vicki." Bonnie waved.

"Bye." was all Vicki said before closing the door.

With a sigh, Bonnie climbed to her purple bicycle, an old gift from her Dad on the rare occasions he was home. There was a new chip on the paint, and Bonnie concluded it must've gotten there when she rode the bike in panic a few hours before.

Because who wouldn't panic when they got a call saying their usually bright friend was found wondering mindlessly, and completely unresponsive?

She hadn't believe it, at first. Caroline was always smiling, always shining—she was like a miniature sun to everyone. She thought maybe Matt was wrong, that maybe he panicked over nothing. But then Bonnie saw Caroline—the Caroline Forbes, who never _ever_ not looking her best—with twigs in her tangled hair and scratches everywhere. There was no smile, no shines in her eyes, as if she wasn't the Caroline she knew anymore. All that was left was an empty shell, with unseeing eyes and tears that couldn't stop falling.

Her first thought was, _that wasn't Caroline._

And, maybe around the same time, everyone realized they didn't really _know_ the blonde. All they ever saw was her cheerful side, the one where she liked to boss others and never wanted to lose.

But then, Elena came. Elena was friendly, cool, adventurous, fearless but she'd always seemed... _distant_ —to them, to everyone except maybe her family. It was as if she lived in her own world, uncaring of the opinions of others and she just do whatever she wanted. One example was her 'running away' episode.

Bonnie would never have the bones to do that. She wasn't brave enough, and she didn't think she would want to anyway. She loved Grams and her home and this little town full of friends and familiarity.

Even so, Bonnie knew Elena wasn't the same. The oldest Gilbert sibling had always been the wildest, out of everyone she knew. The one craving for 'freedom', though Bonnie didn't really understand that one. Either way, Elena was quirky (not _weird_ , because weird isn't good and Elena is) and out of this world. To Bonnie, she was the moon that looked out for everyone.

So Bonnie was properly unsurprised when Elena was the only one that could help Caroline. Matt, Vicki, and even Tyler had looked surprised, but Bonnie knew since long ago that Elena wasn't as callous nor as insensitive as they thought. In fact, she was the most sensitive of them all. She just never showed it off.

Caroline was the sun, Elena was the moon. Matt, Vicki, and Tyler was the stars twinkling from above. Bonnie was happy to be the little girl on Earth.

 _"We're here for you."_

Bonnie smiled wistfully.

.

.

Elena didn't know how much time had passed. It must've been three hours, at least, because from what she remembered running out of the house when there's still light outside.

The clock's hands ticked to 09.10 PM.

Her phone vibrate in her pocket, and she ignored it. She'd called her parents, earlier. Told them Caroline had some trouble with her parents and that Elena needed to stay with her at the Donovans'. They gave her permission as long as she went home come morning. So it couldn't be one of them that texted.

Elena played with the uneven curls of Caroline's hair, putting it at the back of her mind. Her other hand circled around Caroline's shoulder in a half-hug.

"Patrick, is that you?!" SpongeBob yelled from the TV.

"Elena." Caroline called, voice hoarse from an hour of sobbing.

She tried her best not to startle. Caroline had been so silent since her crying stopped. They hadn't know yet what exactly happened with Mr. and Mrs. Forbes that had her distressed like this. "Yes, Care-Bear?"

"I..." Her voice cracked, and Elena cursed herself inwardly because 'Care-Bear' was the fond nickname Caroline's parents gave her.

"I hate gays." She said, more firmly and with a little bit of absoluteness leaking out.

She seemed like the Caroline they knew, but Elena just found herself horrified.

"What brought this on?" She asked. What made a 8 years old girl suddenly declared that?

"Because they're... They're bad, they destroy _everything_! If... If Dad doesn't like men, o-or is a bisexual or whatever it is, then they wouldn't fight. Dad wouldn't cheat on Mom and Mom wouldn't cry so much an-and I _hate_ it! If only they didn't exist—" Caroline rambled frantically, tears streaming down again from her puffy red eyes.

" _Caroline_!" She shouted, startling the blonde into silence. "Caroline, listen to me, okay? Listen."

Elena took her face in-between her small hands, looking right into the blue eyes. "Your dad... He cheated on your mom with another man. Try to think, Care. Your parents were married for... what, ten years? They have been together for _ten years_! There must be a lot of things they experience through, a lot of problems that happened."

Caroline just looked at her, confused. Elena continued, "I can't say for your parents, but I knew my parents love each others. I could see it from the way they stare at each other's eyes, and how Dad always take time to hold hands with Mom. Small things."

Caroline exhaled slowly, mind lost to the memories of her parents, the small moments of tenderness that she'd took for granted. Those moments that she might never saw again.

The thought made her want to cry again.

"But truth is, they see me and Jerry the same way, Care. They look at both of us with love, they give us anything we need, they _love_ us. So maybe your parents fell out of love, or maybe they never really love each other from the beginning. But..." Elena took a deep breath, and then smiled. "They love _you_ , both of them. Surely you know that."

"I... I-I didn't..." Tears gathered up, but Care took a deep breath to steady herself. "I didn't know that. I thought... I thought it was _his_ fault, but-but I..."

"Don't blame anyone, Care-Bear. No one wants to fall in love, they were pushed by Cupid." Elena said seriously.

Care burst out laughing, a genuine laugh that shook her belly and had tears dripping down (from happiness, this time). She laughed for what seemed like forever, and somewhere in there, Vicki and Matt joined her.

"Cupid, really?" Vicki snickered through her hands.

"Good analogy, Lena." Matt said, but his eyes were twinkling brightly.

"I'm serious!" Elena protested, and it only served to make them laugh even more. Huffing, the brunette leaned further into the brown couch, cheeks puffing in irritation.

Finally, Caroline calmed down. "You'll never live it down." She stated, nudging the still pouting girl teasingly. Elena relented at the puppy blue eyes in front of her, sighing instead. "Oh, I'm sure you three would like to remind me that my whole life."

"You can count on us." Vicki smiled innocently, and Matt just raised his hands in the universal peaceful gesture.

"So, you guys are sleeping here for the night, right?" Matt asked.

Elena nodded, "Yeah, I've told my parents earlier."

"Do you mind if you and Caroline sleep in my room with me? We don't have any guest room, but if you don't want to, I'm sure Matt and I can sleep in the couch." Vicki said.

"No, I'm fine bunking with you and Care, Vic. Right, Care?"

They turned to the only person that'd been silent. Care looked back with determination shining in her eyes.

"Actually, I need to do something."

.

.

"Caroline?!" Liz Forbes rushed out of her police car—still clad in uniform—with her husband Bill close behind. The worry, anxiety, and stress disappeared when they saw their only child waiting for them in the porch.

"Oh, Caroline!" Liz hugged her daughter tightly, and Care responded the same way.

"Caroline Forbes." Bill called in a tight tone. Both girls looked up from their little reunion, the moment destroyed. "What did you think you're doing, running away like that?"

Caroline looked down, realizing how much trouble she'd caused. With another glance, she saw the stress lines decorating her Dad's face and the disheveled state of her Mom. They were searching for her out in the night, while she lounged on a couch without even wondering about her parents.

"I'm sorry, Dad, Mom. I-I shouldn't have run like that, but..." Care stared at her shoes, voice colored with guilt. "But I heard you fighting."

There was silence for a moment, neither knew what to say. Finally, Bill sighed, moving to hug Caroline just as tight as his wife did before. "Don't just run off without telling anyone like that, Care-Bear. You really had us worried."

"I'm sorry, Dad." She repeated as she basked in the warmth and protection her Dad's hug offered.

"You're not in the wrong, Caroline. I would've done the same if I was in your position. Our fights aren't exactly pretty." Her dad told her, squeezing her gently once more before letting go.

"I... Dad, Mom, can we... go home?" Caroline asked hopefully.

Her parents shared a glance, a silent conversation exchanged before they apparently agreed on something. Liz nodded, "of course, sweetheart. We need to have a long over due talk."

"That's right." Bill turned back. "Thank you for being there for Caroline—Vicki, Matt, Elena."

"We're only doing our job as her friend." Matt replied politely, eyes following the retreating figures of Caroline and her Mom.

"And she couldn't ask for better friends." Bill replied firmly, gratitude shone in the bright eyes he shared with his daughter, and headed to the car where his family was waiting.

The car roared alive, and they waved goodbye to Caroline, to which she waved back and mouthed, _I'll tell everything tomorrow!_. As soon as the car was out of sight, Elena and the Donovan siblings went back inside. The night was windy and cold.

"Alright... So what are we doing first?" Elena asked, rubbing her hands in an excited manner.

"What do you mean?" Matt asked, tilting his head like an adorable, oversized puppy.

"You mean, like, sleep?" Vicki sassed.

Dumbfounded, Elena stared at the pair of siblings who both looked back at her with obliviousness.

"I mean things like playing board games, gossiping, pillow fights, making pillow fort...?" She trailed off when they stared at her blankly. "You never have a sleepover, didn't you."

A shy nod and a shrug were the answers she needed.

"Well, you're going to experience _every_ single thing a sleepover has to offer before this night ends, or my name isn't Elena Gilbert." She said.

And honestly, it was kinda satisfying to see alarmed looks directed to her.

.

.

" _Oh don't you tell me that it wasn't meant to be. Call it quits, call it destiny._ " She sung, spinning briefly and sending a few drops of paint somewhere in her room. " _Just because it won't come easily, doesn't mean we shouldn't try..._ "

"That's a good song. What's it called?" A voice from the door startled her, and Lena nearly knocked herself out because her feet somehow got tangled when she whirled around.

"Jeez, Jerry! Knock first, alright? What if I was in changing clothes?" She huffed.

"You always change in the bathroom, though I don't get why. I've seen you naked countless time in bath tub." He replied, walking around carefully. Whether he was avoiding the mess that included books, papers, and paint splotches in the ground or he was trying not to make a bigger mess by knocking one of the tall book towers.

"That's a long time ago." She replied surly, reigning her hands that itched to cover her chest in defense. She really missed her two girls, and the knowledge that she was currently as flat as a board offended the woman inside her.

"Anyway, what's the song called? The one you sung before." He tilted his head curiously.

Jeremy — as patience and saintly he (most of the time) was — was also a pre-purbescent boy whose troublemaker soul liked to raged sometimes. Despite his clear talent on drawing, he'd decided to switch to another form of art: music.

He made it his goal to know every new thing about music, and a day rarely went by without the whole house hearing the 'trending songs.' It got annoying real fast.

"It isn't created yet." Lena answered nonchalantly.

"H-huh? What do you mean?" Jerry stared at her, half-confused and half-angry.

"Jer," she paused for a dramatic effect, "I came from the future."

She wasn't even lying, right there. She _did_ come from the future, albeit an alternate universe's one. But she figured the only thing different between the two was this universe's supernatural creatures. Looking back, it's entirely possible that her first world had it's supernaturals too; she just never discovered it.

A few seconds passed by her little brother stared blankly at her.

"...Mom! Dad! Lena's gone completely crazy!"

"Come here, you brat! Imma show you crazy!"

"No—! Mom, Dad, _help_!"

.

.

"Elena, Vicki, here!" A pale skinny limb waved in the air, gathering attention from the two brunettes that just entered the restaurant.

"Hey, sorry we keep you waiting." Elena said cheerfully in greeting. She promptly took a seat next to Caroline, whilst Vicki sat in front of her next to Bonnie. They were in their usual booth, the largest one in there that wasn't placed in the middle of The Grill. The seats can hold up to eight people, and it was strategically placed outside of the limelight. It enabled them to be as rowdy as they wanted to.

"You kids ready to order?" A busgirl with red dye hair asked through her bubblegum.

In an instant, Caroline wracked her brain and tried to recall what she knew about the girl. Her name was Layla Ashton, a 17 years old living a few blocks away from her house. Her father died a decade ago and her mother worked in a salon, from what she remembered.

And Caroline pride herself in her knowledge of everything that went on Mystic Falls. She just _loved_ to analyze things and then make a conclusion. She'd been right 80% of the time.

Oh, of course she loved being the center of the attention, too. But being in the background, observing, was amazing too. Especially if she got to tell others how they were wrong.

 _Caroline do so loved being right._

"Hi, Layla! I'd like a cheeseburger with a side of french fries and one milkshake chocolate please!" She chirped, and noted how the older girl seemed surprised she knew her name.

"Make it two, but I make it strawberry milkshake, please." Bonnie smiled a bit shyly.

"I'll have a cheeseburger and coke." Vicki muttered, seemingly avoiding the look she got from the busgirl. Caroline thought that must be because they knew each other. Vicki's mom was a busgirl there after all.

"I want a bacon burger with a side of super thick onion rings dipped in mustard and spicy mayo, and one vanilla milkshake. Please." Elena beamed, looking eager to eat as per usual.

Everyone had given up on the mystery that was Elena Gilbert's stomach. Caroline had to admit, she was suspicious of whether Elena was a witch or not and had casted a bottom-less spell on her stomach — like _Harry_ _Potter_.

Layla frowned, "we accept no request like that, kid."

"Tell Mr. Peterson that it's _Elena_ Gilbert. I'm sure he'll be willing to make an exception." Lena smiled again, but this time it was too wide, her eyes too squinted, for her friends to believe it was real.

Elena _hate_ being underestimated.

Caroline exchanged a glance with Bonnie and Vicki, shuddering inwardly at the eerie expression on Lena. Layla must'd caught on as well — or maybe she just realized that Elena's family half _owned_ this place — because she muttered an agreement and left as fast as she could without running.

Jeez, she was glad she never pissed off Lena.

"So, Care, I heard your parents are going to have a divorce?" Elena asked quietly, trying to avoid the ever noisy residents of Mystic Falls.

Bonnie shot her a worried look which she ignored, and decided not to stare at the piercing eyes that belong to Vicki. "Yeah, they planned to have it next month, after everything is taken care of." She replied, smiling. _Not too bright, not too small,_ she repeated inside her head. "Dad is going to move to Georgia with his boyfriend."

"You're not moving out right, Care?" Bonnie asked anxiously.

"Nah, I'm stuck with my mom and you guys." She forced a giggle. "Besides, I heard his boyfriend had a daughter too. Imagine us fighting over a doll. It'll be a _disaster_."

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked, laying a supporting hand on hers, and her smile this time was more genuine. She didn't answer.

"I need to go to the restroom." Vicki announced, and Caroline decided that she needed to go too. Might as well wash her hands before eating.

It was when she was inside the toilet that she overheard something she shouldn't have.

The bathroom door opened, and heels clacked against the marble tile. "Hey, Vicki." It was Layla's voice.

"Hi." Was all the nine year old offered. She didn't seemed too happy about the condition. In fact, Caroline could already see her, washing her hands and trying to pretend that the older girl didn't exist.

Caroline had once been in Layla's position, before Vicki and Elena became friends.

"How's your mom? Is she back yet?" Layla asked nonchalantly. "Last I heard she got kicked out of here because she fucked Mr. Peterson's ex-boyfriend."

Caroline held back a gasp, blush creeping on her face. _That's... Layla's not as nice as I thought._

"Oh, she's fine. You know, just enjoying her holiday at California. Unlike you who never even leave this town." Vicki replied snidely.

"Better be me than a whore like your mom, kid." Layla's voice had turned into a snarl. "I'm just trying to help, but it seemed you don't need any."

The door opened. "Don't come running to me for help, Donovan. And tell that to your brother too."

 _Slam!_

For a few moments, the bathroom was silent. Caroline had quietened her breathing, afraid that somehow Vicki would hear it and remembered her presence.

What she just heard was something really _personal_. And yeah, everyone had heard about the mess that was Kelly Donovan, but Caroline hadn't know she was out of town.

Who was taking care of Matt and Vicki?

Before she could think about it more, Vicki's voice rang out. "You can come out now, Caroline."

She jumped, and tried her best sheepish and guilty expression to the older girl. It didn't work. Vicki's lime green eyes stared at her own reflection on the mirror, while Caroline shuffled her feet awkwardly.

When she didn't make any move to speak, Care took a deep breath and opened her mouth before she chicken out.

"I'm sorry." She blurted out.

"What, because I've got a sorry excuse of a mom?" Vicki replied, voice trembling slightly with anger and disgust.

"Because I didn't mean to eavesdrop." She paused. "And I'm sure your mom isn't that bad..."

That was the wrong thing to say.

Vicki gnashed her teeth, glaring daggers at her. "Well, you're _lucky_. You have parents who love you even after they divorce. I _saw_ how worried they were that night. Someone like you wouldn't understand what Matt and I had to go through."

"I-I..."

"We can't even remember our father, the only decent parent we had! Instead, all we got was that woman who continued to chase men _instead_ of worrying whether we'll live tomorrow or not. She didn't even bother sending us an email since she left to California, weeks ago." Vicki continued, voice wavering. "I _hate_ her."

"Yeah, I hate her too."

Vicki looked up in surprise, but Caroline was determined.

"She sounds like a bitch, and I _don't_ like bitches. And who needs her anyway? You and Matt got me, Elena, Bonnie, and Tyler. We're far more awesome than her." She sniffed, as if offended at the thought of Vicki preferring her mom than them.

"I'm sure." Vicki said dryly.

"I'm still coping with the thought of my dad not being around anymore." Caroline admitted. "I'll be able to visit him on holidays, but I'm afraid. What if she prefer his boyfriend's daughter than me? What if she replaced me?"

She felt vulnerable, talking about her deepest fear. But Vicki was one of the people she trusted, and Caroline hoped she won't judge because their shared parent-trouble.

"Then if he chose her he's stupid, because he didn't see how blessed he is to have you as his daughter." Vicki said a matter-of-factly, and Caroline beamed. The pain in her heart lessened, and she was left with a warmth glow. Somehow, she believed her. Because Vicki wasn't someone that liked to lie.

"Though, I couldn't blame him if he didn't with how noisy you are."

"Wha—" Caroline stared at the smirking brown-haired girl in disbelief. " _Bitch_! I said I was sorry!"

"Jerk!" Was Vicki's automatic response.

In a pause, they looked at each other wide-eyed.

"Let's never do that again."

"Right."

.

.

"How is Grams?" Elena asked, smiling at her curly-haired friend. If Bonnie's hair was curly in the future, then now it was wild. Chocolate curls flew out everywhere, and she heard it was a pain to take care of. It didn't puff out like an afro, but it was still sticking out in every direction available.

Bonnie smiled fondly over her pink drink. "Grams' fine. She's currently obsessed with knitting. My sock drawers are overflowing right now."

She giggled, imagining Bonnie smiling exasperatedly as Grams handed her another pair. Bonnie smirked, "she's been asking for you, Lena. Said she miss her second granddaughter or something like that."

Elena strained for a smile. She had been avoiding the elderly Bennett for a month now, somehow. She was afraid that, maybe, the experienced witch could tell how different she was. If she could recognized the old soul in her was literally _old_.

If she'd been able to realize that this wasn't Elena — but an _intruder_ , stealing the body of the doppelganger.

It wasn't a rationalist thought, she knew, but she couldn't help but let her fear went wild. In her previous life as a TVD geek, she never stumbled upon reincarnation like this. Never stumbled on _reincarnation_ at all.

And that was it: reincarnation _didn't_ exist in The Vampire Diaries universe.

Even though said universe had diverse creatures and unimaginable things roaming like spirits of hell and Prison World. But a common idea like rebirth and after life didn't existed.

Because it _wasn't_ supposed to be possible.

It _wasn't_ supposed to be possible to jump world. It _wasn't_ supposed to be possible to reincarnate as a main character in a TV show.

So how, how, _how_ was an ordinary girl like her got to do those impossible things?

Apparently, Bonnie must've took her expression (however it looked like) as one directed to her words, because the brown-eyed girl snorted. "Don't worry Lena, Grams aren't that bad yet. She still hasn't try making patterns yet."

"Thank god." She hid her expression behind the tall glass of milkshake. Beneath the table, her fists clenched tightly.

Lena cleared her throat. "Hey, Bonnie, have you read _Harry Potter_ yet?"

"Hm? You mean those books you, Care, and Matt are obsessed with?" She stirred the milkshake absentmindedly. "Not really, why?"

"Well, I've got to say that you absolutely _have_ to read it! It's all about magic and it's a very wonderful book . . . "

( _she knew she couldn't stop Bonnie from getting her inheritance._ _Mother Nature blessed her from the day she was born. but everytime she imagined her Bonnie as a witch, all she saw was her agonized face, crying tears of blood as she struggled alone. trying her best to protect her friends, not even caring if it cost her life._

 _Fate_ _might've fucked up her life, but she'll be damned if she didn't try her hardest to stop It from messing up Bonnie's._ )

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 **words: 4369**

 **holla! how's it going to my favorite readers? i'll have to say i'm doing splendid if any of you are curious, because FINALLY SCHOOL IS OVER NEXT WEEK!**

 **i've been trampled like an ant from the elephant-sized pile that is school works and exams. just finished my final exam this week, actually. some things i failed in, some things i succeed on. well, let bygones be bygones, right?**

 **honestly, i've finished half of this chapter like two weeks ago when all of a sudden my phone died on me. i turned it off and it just won't turn on no matter what. i guess i was too careless with it... (;_;) i'm sorry, please rest in peace...**

 **anyway, anyone got the reference to Supernatural? i don't own it, just to be clear...**

 **love, cas xoxo**

 **p.s. updates will flow faster now, especially because i'm in a huge mood for tvd rn~**

 **p.s.s. song is easily by bruno major!**


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